Iraq to recruit workers from Bangladesh

The Iraqi government has expressed keen interest in recruiting workers from Bangladesh. The matter was discussed during a recent joint committee meeting between Bangladesh and Iraq, held at the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment in Dhaka on 13 and 14 October.

The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in the manpower sector, including safe, regular, and orderly labour migration, sending skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled workers to Iraq, and regularising Bangladeshi workers already in the country.

At the end of the meeting, a Record of Discussion was signed.

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The Iraqi government will recruit Bangladeshis through worker visas in various sectors, verified by the Bangladesh Embassy. Bangladeshi workers will sign employment contracts before traveling to ensure safe migration.

The Bangladesh Embassy will also gather information on sectors requiring workers and take measures to send them.

Iraq expressed a positive attitude toward regularising irregular workers, and Bangladesh will send a request to the Iraqi government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under an amnesty scheme.

The joint committee will meet at least once a year to facilitate deployment of Bangladeshi workers.

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The meeting concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Ahmadul Haque, additional secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, and Kazim Abdur Reza Khayyun At-Wani, director general of Iraq's Media, Arab and International Relations Department, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective sides.

Dr Neyamat Ulya Bhuiyan, senior secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, was present.

Earlier, the Iraqi delegation paid a courtesy call on Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Asif Nazrul at his office.